CEDAR CITY, Utah. Senior forward Maizen Fausett scored a game-high 22 points to vault into fourth all-time in team history as the Southern Utah men's basketball team made it rain from three-point range to down Sam Houston State, 86-74. The conquest improved SUU's record to 12-6 and 4-1 in Western Athletic Conference play. Sam Houston, meanwhile, dropped to 12-5, 2-3 in the WAC.
Career-Scoring Charts
Senior forward Maizen Fausett just missed his career high of 24 points with a sizzling effort as he tallied 22 points against the Bearkats. That increased his career scoring tally to 1,313 as he moved ahead of James McGee (1,300) and Richard Barton (1,297) for fourth all-time in SUU history.
Senior guard Tevian Jones joined Fausett in the 20s with a 21-point effort. Jones ran his career tally to 1,249, including some time at Illinois, while he's scored 1,151 in a T-Bird uniform.
Senior guard Dee Barnes scored a career-high 17 points, while sophomore guard Drake Allen also scored in double digits with 12 points.
Meanwhile, senior guard Harrison Butler moved into seventh all-time in SUU history with a total of 1,277 thanks to six points against SHSU. He leapfrogged Jackson Stevenett (1,273) in the process.
Points
1,710; Davor Marcelic (1989-1992)
1,568; Jeff Monaco (1997-2001)
1,434; Dre Marin (2017-2022)
1,313; Maizen Fausett (ACTIVE)
1,300; James McGee (2014-2018)
1,297; Richard Barton (1989-1993)
1,277; Harrison Butler (ACTIVE)
1,273; Jackson Stevenett (2010-2013)
1,223; John Knight III (2019-2022)
1,205; Davis Baker (2007-2010)
1,151; Tevian Jones (ACTIVE)
Three-Point Barrage
The Thunderbirds rained down 24 three-point attempts with 13 finding the bottom of the net. That fell just three shy of the school record of 16 made trifectas against Northern Arizona on Dec. 31, 2016.
3-Pt. Field Goals Record Books
16 vs. NAU 12/31/16
15 vs. SDCC, 11/29//18
15 vs. UTSA, 11/30/14
14 vs. South Alabama, 12/10/94
14 at Chicago State, 2/26/00
14 vs. Oakland, 2/23/06
14 vs. Seattle U.
13 vs. Sam Houston, 1/12/2023
T-Bird Tidbits
- While the Bearkats kept the game close from time to time, the outcome never seemed to be in much doubt as the T-Birds led for an astounding 36:27 of play (91.1 percent of the game).
- Southern Utah outshot Sam Houston both from the field (55.6 to 48.3 percent) as well as from beyond the arc (54.2 to 52.9 percent).
- SUU proved to be the more aggressive squad, drawing 23 personal fouls against only 15 committed.
First Half
Southern Utah started off the contest on fire with a 9-2 run heading into the 18:03 mark. Maizen Fausett, eyeing the 1300-point club, scored a quick five points during that scoring burst. This run forced an SHSU timeout, which served the squad well as it responded with an 8-0 surge of its own to take a 10-9 lead heading into the media timeout at 15:28.
Fausett joined the 1300-point club with a clutch three-pointer to tie the contest at 16-16 with 13:27 on the clock. This was part of a sizzling 12-0 run that closed with a Fausett layup at 11:43 to jump SUU out to a 23-16 lead.
The Thunderbirds extended the run to 17-2 with 10:39 on the clock to take a 28-18 advantage thanks to a Tevian Jones layup and a Dee Barnes trifecta heading into the next media timeout.
Following another Barnes triple with 9:21 on the clock to push SUU up to 31-20, the Bearkats turned in a quick 5-0 burst to cut the lead to 31-25 with 8:28 to go.
Fausett continue pouring it on to the Bearkats, completing a rare four-point play, as he buried a three-pointer with 5:43 and converted the And 1 to extend SUU's lead back up to 38-29 with 5:41 to play. Drake Allen followed with a layup to add to SUU's lead, 40-29, with 4:22 to go. After a quick SHSU jumper, Southern Utah went into the next media timeout with a 40-31 lead with 3:38 on the clock.
Jones took over the game during the next few minutes, scoring four points to stretch the lead to 44-31 with 2:08 to go. After two more Barnes free throws, Fausett flushed another trifecta with 35 seconds to go to extend the Southern Utah advantage to 49-33.
The Bearkats chipped away at the lead with a pair of free throws to head into halftime down, 49-35.
Second Half
Sam Houston exploded out of the half with a 9-0 run to chop the SUU lead to 49-44 with 17:37 on the clock. Maizen Fausett, however, ended the run with a clean trey from beyond the arc to push the SUU lead back to 52-44 with 16:39 to go. Following a quick jumper from the Bearkats, SUU went into the first media timeout up 52-46 at the 15:38 mark.
Dee Barnes canned a pair of three throws at 15:17 to push Southern Utah up 54-46. SUU and SHSU then traded three-pointers with Tevian Jones keeping the 'Birds up, 57-49, with 14:44 to go. After another Bearkat three, Drake Allen maneuvered his way to the rim for a layup as SUU snared a 59-52 lead with 13:55 on the block. Dee Barnes followed another SHSU three-pointer with a circus shot layup for the 61-55 lead at 13:12.
Jason Spurgin blew the roof off the America First Event Center with a man-sized block as he met Kaosi Ezeagu at the rim on a dunk attempt with 12:11 to go. An SHSU foul led to a media timeout at 11:56 with the 'Birds still up 61-57.
Spurgin continued his strong play coming out of the break. After a monstrous dunk thanks to a Harrison Butler foul to put SUU up, 63-57, Spurgin collected another rejection at the rim. Butler and Barnes scored the next four points for the 'Birds as Southern Utah remained up, 67-60. Butler continued his offensive surge with a layup as the T-Birds snagged a 69-60 advantage with 8:19 to play.
Up 69-61, Barnes sank a corner three-pointer as the 'Birds went up, 72-61, with 6:14 to go as Barnes tied his career high with 17 points. After an SHSU dunk, Jones then connected on a pair of free throws to grab a 74-63 advantage with 5:37 to go.
Jones followed another successful shot from the Bearkats with yet another trifecta as Southern Utah seized a 77-65 lead with 5:03 on the clock. Drake Allen then drained another three-pointer with 4:29 to go as the Thunderbirds stretched their lead back to 80-65.
With the Bearkats in foul trouble, Jones attacked the paint to draw a foul. Jones then converted both free throws to snare an 82-67 lead. After another SHSU three-pointer, Spurgin scored two more with a layup as SUU went up 84-70 at 2:35 on the clock.
The 'Birds then put away the game at the charity stripe down the stretch, winning the contest, 86-74.
Notable Plays
Next Up
Southern Utah remains in Cedar City for a contest against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. at the America First Event Center.
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